CHAPTER 1511: 322, WHERE DID THE MARRIAGE GIFTS GO (PART 3 UPDATE)_2

Tian Hui has a gentle temperament and a generous heart, and she has a good relationship with Lin Yuan, naturally, she wouldn’t mind these things. But still, she jokingly teased Xia Zheng: "Mother’s right, initially your elder brother even gifted me a residence! You can’t be less generous than your elder brother!"

Xia Zheng grimaced, pretending to be very aggrieved: "The estate outside the city that elder brother got, was bestowed upon him by the Emperor. I haven’t gained military merits by fighting battles, how could I have such a grand estate?"

Xia Yuan, who had been sipping tea with his eyes downcast, suddenly spoke languidly: "In this recent crushing defeat of Xiliang, didn’t Your Majesty award you quite a lot of lands and estates? I think it would be good to give those to your wife, so you won’t end up filling the debt holes if you ever lose money in business!"

Hearing this, Princess Anle and Tian Hui looked at each other and smiled, nodding in agreement.

Xia Zheng blinked and said: "Those estates and lands are naturally all for my wife. However, when have I ever lost money in business? Impossible!"

The family was talking inside the room when Qiu Ju and Dong Mei came back from the storeroom with the gift list, entering with troubled expressions and reported: "Princess, a lot of items have inexplicably disappeared from the storeroom, we dared not delay and hurried back to report."

A lot has gone missing?

Princess Anle took the gift list and looked at it; when Xia Zhen and Tian Hui got married, Princess Anle had prepared two identical betrothal gifts. Not only for these two sons but even for Xia Hen, the younger uncle, she had prepared a betrothal gift, although his being an elder meant his gift was slightly better.

Both Xia Hen and Xia Zheng were yet to be engaged, so the betrothal gifts should have been untouched in the storeroom, but why now when looking again, half of it was missing? Particularly missing were the parts belonging to Xia Zheng’s gifts!

Only she had the keys to the storeroom, how could anyone else get in? That small window? Seems difficult, doesn’t it?

Xia Hen, leaning back in his chair with eyes cast down silently, seemed unconnected to what they were discussing.

That night, in the estate of He family village, Liu Limin did her final check on the stored red wine and fruit wine in the wine cellar before heading back to her room to rest.

As she entered, unsurprisingly, there was another box carefully wrapped in a red silk cloth placed on the table.

Liu Limin instinctively turned and rushed out the door, looking left and right, yet she still couldn’t find the figure she constantly thought about, not even the familiar sight of a red or white corner of a robe.

"This guy! Always sending things, but never shows his face!"

Despite grumbling, Liu Limin was delighted inside.

Sitting by the table, she opened the box – the same note, the same handwriting, a different number.

"Betrothal gift number twenty-six."

With a smile, Liu Limin read the note several times, then carefully smoothed it out and placed it aside, whispering softly to herself "What is it this time?" as she opened the box.

This sweet and anticipatory feeling was just like when she was a child, opening the paper bag her parents brought back when they went out, not knowing if it contained sweet cakes or deep-fried pastries.

"Huh? It’s actually a small bottle!"

The box was opened, and inside was a small blue and white porcelain vase, with simple lines and even simpler patterns, seemingly without order, yet pleasing to the eye.

After flipping it up and down a few times, Liu Limin raised her eyebrows and placed it on the small table by the window, muttering, "Although it’s a bit small, it’s perfect for holding flowers. Just right for the flowers blooming in big brother’s greenhouse; I’ll go ask for a few branches tomorrow."

Watching the little vase, Liu Limin carefully wiped down the other several betrothal gifts sent by Xia Hen over these days before stopping. She even put the small note on the table into a small box and tucked it away.

After finishing all this, Liu Limin finally went to sleep contentedly, her lips curling into a happy smile.

During this month in the palace, Xiao Linshuang had gained a lot, not only learning numerous secret recipes from ancient books but also finding several good formulas used by past concubines for skincare; such good things must be applied to practice!

After all, she was still young, and people genuinely thought of her as just a little troublemaker, so few came to her for medical treatment. This left her with precious time to research skincare products by herself. As soon as she arrived at Frost Pavilion, the little girl dived into studying in her small room.

However, there were always a few people who were particularly lacking in tact, insisting on disturbing her at such times!

"Miss, there are two young masters downstairs making a scene, saying they won’t leave unless you come down!"

Du Ruo knocked on the door, urgently calling Xiao Linshuang: "The female guests in our store, several have already been driven away by them, Miss, please come and see!"

Before she could finish, the door to the small room swung open with a bang, and Xiao Linshuang stood at the doorway, eyes wide and face puffed up in anger: "Nasty guys! They followed me even outside the palace! Looks like today I have to teach you a lesson, or you’ll forget that I am Zhen Xiuming’s disciple!"

Du Ruo stared in astonishment at Xiao Linshuang as she stormed downstairs, muttering subconsciously: "Is this really our little miss? Wow, so impressive!"

With a face full of admiration, Du Ruo hurriedly followed after her, continuously shouting, "Miss, you are so impressive! I really admire you!"

Xiao Linshuang stomped down the stairs, and indeed, at the entrance she spotted two young men pointing arrogantly at the salesgirl behind the counter and causing a scene.

The paler-faced young man slapped the counter, lifted his chin, and snorted: "Go call your boss! Isn’t he claimed to be Old Mr. Zhen’s closed-door disciple? Come on, let this young master see what kind of impressive good you are, even catching Old Mr. Zhen’s discerning eye!"

The other young man, with slightly yellowish hair, perched with his legs crossed on a chair reserved for resting guests, tossed the tea on the table onto the floor disdainfully: "This is the tea you serve to guests? It’s disgusting! You charge several taels of silver for a box of Condensation Dew, yet serve such poor tea to your guests, what a heartless, unscrupulous merchant!"

"That’s right! Such a heartless merchant dares to claim being Old Mr. Zhen’s disciple? Absolutely fishing for fame, a case of bait-and-switch!"

Watching the two men’s arrogant demeanor, Xiao Linshuang curled her lips and actually smiled.